Bio-stimulant range: Boosting OSR establishment, root development, greening and yield
7th May 2021
Conventional and organic OSR crops are benefitting from impressive root growth and greening with applications of natural amino-acid complex bio-stimulants from UK manufacturer AminoA, while replicated and on-going trials are returning further positive results and indicators.
Recognising the growing market for organic OSR, achieving significant premiums over conventional crops, independent agronomist Andy Cheetham of Ceres Agri Services has several clients growing organic oilseed rape this season.
Mr Cheetham plans to make amino acids a major part of inputs for the organic crops, and is using OF&G-approved AminoA GRO.
“I have applied AminoA GRO to a field which was hammered with pigeons, stripping the leaves. Following two applications of GRO, at 1.25-litres/ha each application, the crop has recovered within a couple of weeks, with lots of new root growth,” Mr Cheetham explained.
“The other sites will get AminoA GRO plus a cocktail of other nutrients which are known to release the growth hormones within the plant,” he added.
Independent agronomist Helen Baxter, using AminoA FLO on conventional OSR crops, commented: “We have seen improvement in root development, stem thickness and rapid early green leaf growth during establishment.
“I am convinced the use of AminoA FLO in our programmes helps improved and more reliable establishment of our crops. Also, after this winter’s significant severe late frost damage to our crops, we applied AminoA FLO in the early spring programme, and have seen very fast recovery and excellent spring growth.”
Ms Baxter says that over four years of working with her clients and using AminoA FLO, together they have built confidence in the use of the product. With more and more independent trials data supporting the benefits, she feels it, and the new sister products, will be an essential part of the agronomy toolbox.
AminoA managing director Richard Phillips said: “It is really important to apply AminoA FLO with your fungicide mix, particularly at petal fall. We recommend keeping your levels of FLO up to 2-litres/ha to try and extend the green leaf area for as long as possible, in order to get a good pod fill.”
Yield improvements have been recorded in replicated trials. Eurofins trial results from 2019 saw winter OSR treated at 3-leaf return a 0.383t/ha yield increase from a single autumn treatment, and fully replicated field trials in France and Poland have seen significant yield improvements of between 0.54 and 0.95t/ha in crops yielding up to 5.7t/ha.
Ongoing trials are currently in ground with Scottish Agronomy, alongside OSR trial plots at the Cereals event.
